Wikinews Shorts: April 27, 2007
{{Wikinews Shorts header|April 27, 2007}}

===Stephen Hawking goes weightless===
[[Image:Stephen Hawking 050506.jpg|right|120px|Stephen Hawking in 2006]]
65-year-old scientist [[w:Stephen Hawking|Stephen Hawking]] took a ride on the "[[w:Vomit Comet|Vomit Comet]]", an airplane producing weightlessness by following a parabolic flight path. He did this to show awareness for space exploration. The flight took off and landed at the [[w:Kennedy Space Center|Kennedy Space Center]] in [[Florida]].

Hawking, who is confined to a wheelchair due to a degenerative disease, was unstrapped from it while the plane made eight free-fall maneuvers that simulate zero-gravity to those on-board. Hawking told reporters he enjoyed the zero-gravity part of his flight and other people with him said he "didn't want to come back".

Hawking made the flight to draw attention to the importance of space exploration. "I believe the human race has no future if it doesn't go into space," he said.

'''Sources'''
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6599431.stm
|title=Hawking's small step toward space
|author=Irene Klotz
|pub=BBC News Online
|date=April 27, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/8B6BF824-5208-49C8-AEEE-6123EC9E1DF9.htm
|title=Hawking makes zero gravity flight
|author=
|pub=Al Jazeera
|date=April 27, 2007}}
----

===Saudi Arabia arrests 172 militants===
[[Image:Arabian Peninsula dust SeaWiFS.jpg|right|120px|Satellite image of Arabian peninsula]]
[[Saudi Arabia|Saudi]] police have arrested 172 militants planning to attack Saudi Arabia's oil fields. They also planned to free inmates and use an aircraft.

"They had the personnel, the money, the arms. Almost all the elements for terror attacks were complete except for setting the zero hour for the attacks," said Brig. Mansour al-Turki, a [[w:Interior minister|Ministry of Interior]] spokesperson. "They had reached an advanced stage of readiness and what remained only was to set the zero hour for their attacks."

'''Sources'''
*{{source|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSL2758711920070427
|title=Saudi arrests suspects planning oil attacks
|author=Andrew Hammond
|pub=Reuters
|date=April 27, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18349238/
|title=Saudi Arabia arrests 172 in anti-terror sweep
|author=
|pub=MSNBC
|date=April 27, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/AC6AFEBC-BB90-4A4E-B011-CB6C4AF3CB86.htm
|title=Saudis arrest 172 "terror suspects"
|author=
|pub=Al Jazeera
|date=April 27, 2007}}
----

===Abdullah Gül does not get presidency in first round===
[[Image:Abdullah Gül (Brasília, 19.1.2005).jpeg|120px|right|[[w:Abdullah Gül|Abdullah Gül]] in [[Brazil]] in 2005]]

[[Turkey]]'s Foreign Minister [[w:Abdullah Gül|Abdullah Gül]] failed the first round of voting in parliament on Friday. He received 357 votes; 367 votes are required to win. Opposition parties asked the Constitutional Court to stop the voting. If the Constitutional Court rules in favor, a general election could be called.

A second round will be on May 2. If Gül doesn't pick up the additional ten votes then, the process will move on to a third and if necessary a fourth round. During those rounds, only a simple majority is needed so Gül seems assured of getting the presidency.

'''Related news'''
*{{wikinews|title=Turkey's governing party names Abdullah Gül as presidential candidate|date=April 24, 2007}}

'''Sources'''
*{{source|url=http://africa.reuters.com/world/news/usnANK000227.html
|title=Turkey's Gul fails to win presidency in first vote
|author=
|pub=Reuters
|date=April 27, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/04/27/turkey.vote.ap/
|title=Turkey's Gul out in round one
|author=
|pub=CNN
|date=April 27, 2007}}
----

===Chinese cat reportedly gives birth to 'poodle'===
[[Image:Poodel-Standard.jpg|right|120px|A Poodle]]

A [[w:cat|cat]] in [[w:Zhengzhou, China|Zhengzhou]], [[China]] gave birth to four kittens of which one reportedly looks like a white [[w:poodle|poodle]], says owner Zhang Qiming. People from around the city are making visits to the house where the cat gave birth.

"It looks very different from the other kittens, and its mouth, nose and paws are all dog-like," said owner Zhang Qiming. "Also, its tail is one centimetre shorter than that of the other three kittens."

There appears to be no proof other than the owner's statements that "kitten" is a dog or that the cat in fact gave birth to it.

'''Sources'''
*{{source|url=http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_News&set_id=1&click_id=79&art_id=iol1177664311292D235
|title=Cat 'gives birth to puppy'
|author=
|pub=Independent Online (South Africa)
|date=April 27, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2306500.html
|title=Cat 'gives birth to puppy'
|author=
|pub=Ananova
|date=April 27, 2007}}
----

===Top al-Qaeda operative reported in US custody===
[[Image:AbdulHadiRFJ.jpg|right|120px|Abdul Hadi al Iraqi]]
Bryan Whitman, a spokesperson for the [[w:United States Department of Defense|US Department of Defense]], said today that the [[United States]] has captured [[w:Abdul Hadi al Iraqi|Abdul Hadi al-Iraqi]], whom it says has worked directly with the [[w:Taliban|Taliban]] in [[Afghanistan]].

Whitman said al-Iraqi was captured when trying to enter [[Iraq]], presumably for the purposes of taking over [[w:Al-Qaeda|al-Qaeda]] operations there. He was taken to [[w:Guantanamo Bay detention camp|Guantanamo Bay]] about a week ago.

A [[w:United States Department of State|US State Department]] website described al-Iraqi as "being a skilled, intelligent, and experienced commander and is an extremely well-respected al-Qaeda leader."

'''Sources'''
*{{source|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aW.TPDybhS3s&refer=worldwide
|title=Top Al-Qaeda Operative Taken Into Custody, U.S. Says
|author=Tony Capaccio
|pub=Bloomberg L.P.
|date=April 27, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6600751.stm
|title=US holds 'senior al-Qaeda figure'
|author=
|pub=BBC News Online
|date=April 27, 2007}}
----

{{publish}}
{{Archive-unreviewed}}
[[Category:Wackynews]]
[[Category:Science and technology]]
[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Elections]]
[[Category:China]]
[[Category:Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:Middle East]]
[[Category:Iraq]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:Al-Qaeda]]
[[Category:Turkey]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Asia]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:Abdullah Gül]]
[[Category:Cats]]
[[Category:Dogs]]
Hawking, who is confined to a wheelchair due to a degenerative disease, was unstrapped from it while the plane made eight free-fall maneuvers that simulate zero-gravity to those on-board. Hawking told reporters he enjoyed the zero-gravity part of his flight and other people with him said he "didn't want to come back".

Hawking made the flight to draw attention to the importance of space exploration. "I believe the human race has no future if it doesn't go into space," he said.

'Sources'
*
*
----

"They had the personnel, the money, the arms. Almost all the elements for terror attacks were complete except for setting the zero hour for the attacks," said Brig. Mansour al-Turki, a Ministry of Interior spokesperson. "They had reached an advanced stage of readiness and what remained only was to set the zero hour for their attacks."

'Sources'
*
*
*
----

Turkey's Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül failed the first round of voting in parliament on Friday. He received 357 votes; 367 votes are required to win. Opposition parties asked the Constitutional Court to stop the voting. If the Constitutional Court rules in favor, a general election could be called.

A second round will be on May 2. If Gül doesn't pick up the additional ten votes then, the process will move on to a third and if necessary a fourth round. During those rounds, only a simple majority is needed so Gül seems assured of getting the presidency.

'Related news'
*

'Sources'
*
*
----

A cat in Zhengzhou, China gave birth to four kittens of which one reportedly looks like a white poodle, says owner Zhang Qiming. People from around the city are making visits to the house where the cat gave birth.

"It looks very different from the other kittens, and its mouth, nose and paws are all dog-like," said owner Zhang Qiming. "Also, its tail is one centimetre shorter than that of the other three kittens."

There appears to be no proof other than the owner's statements that "kitten" is a dog or that the cat in fact gave birth to it.

'Sources'
*
*
----

Whitman said al-Iraqi was captured when trying to enter Iraq, presumably for the purposes of taking over al-Qaeda operations there. He was taken to Guantanamo Bay about a week ago.

A US State Department website described al-Iraqi as "being a skilled, intelligent, and experienced commander and is an extremely well-respected al-Qaeda leader."

'Sources'
*
*
----
Wackynews Science and technology Space Politics and conflicts Elections China Saudi Arabia Middle East Iraq United States Al-Qaeda Turkey Europe Asia North America Abdullah Gül Cats Dogs